Category: Real Estate and Mortgages

New rules for home appraisers implemented a few months ago following the housing market meltdown are causing buyers/sellers, realtors, home builders and mortgage companies further pain in the already depressed housing market. Not only are appraisal costs going up for home buyers, but nearly 60% of home builders are running…

I just completed my first home purchase – a long and challenging journey that eventually had a happy ending. I have few regrets in becoming a home owner, but little did I realize that when I started my home buying journey a few months ago that things would be as…

One of the biggest hurdles in buying a home is getting the right financing at the price. This is especially the case in the current market where banks are placing strict criteria, and requiring large down payments to get a conventional home loan. Due to the deep recession, stock market…

Despite median home prices across the nation falling by 14 percent to $169,000, there are emerging signs that the housing market may be stabilizing and reaching a bottom. For new or would-be homeowners, mortgage rates below 5% and all the stimulus tax incentives have made buying a house much more…

[Latest update] The government has finalized details of coronavirus relief stimulus checks and is expected to make these direct payments to millions of Americans in the coming days. Details can be found here. [Updated with new extensions] Based on a number of reader questions, there is still some confusion around…

Just another sign that the Mortgage Giants are really in much more trouble than the government regulators are letting on. David Moffet was CEO of Freddie Mac for just under 6 months and he must have thought the problems are too much too handle. The C-Level musical chairs at Freddie…

Before pulling the trigger on buying your house, you need to consider the case for buying now versus waiting for conditions to improve. In today's housing market, which is characterized by a "locked-in" effect where many existing homeowners with low mortgage rates are reluctant to sell, there is a strong…

With tough economic times and house prices plunging across the country, rental (apartment) living has become the norm for a number of people. Whether it is by choice or circumstance, apartment living has its own challenges and before you make the move here are some things to consider and tips…

[Updated Feb 19 2008] See this recent article on President Obama's $75 billion dollar plan to stem foreclosures and stabalize the housing market. It also covers who qualifies and when the programs start. -------- Finally some good news leading into the holidays for millions of struggling homeowners, through a plan…

In an attempt to help struggling American homeowners, the U.S. Department of Treasury, HUD, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and the Hope Now Alliance recently outlined a plan to avoid "preventable" foreclosures. Households that have missed three or more mortgage payments may receive assistance through refinanced…

I wrote a while back on how the US was leading home price declines earlier this year. Looks like the world has caught up to this unfortunate trend and pushed the relative US declines to the middle of the pack. As the most recent IMF economic report shows, the US…

It seems that wherever there is an easy buck to be made (or stolen in this case) scam artists are on the prowl catching unsuspecting victims in their deceitful webs of misinformation. Earlier this year the biggest scams being perpetuated were around the IRS stimulus checks. Now with the housing…

Much of the past and current financial market crisis is blamed on two main factors – poor risk management by company executives and the ultra-depressed housing market. Company management is paying the penalty with most failed CEO's fired and years of lawsuits and regulatory probes ahead for implicated senior executives.…